Green Rose
by Effervescence bunny
Summary: Driving during a boring valentines night may seem underrated, for Yukina Kou, it was a bittersweet night that he will never forget.


Green Roses

Disclaimer: I do not own Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi

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Kou Yukina sighed as he waited for a passenger in his cab.

As a struggling art student, he worked in different jobs to sustain himself before landing on being a bookstore staff at Marimo Books, he loved his job there, and should be enough, but since he had a boyfriend and that valentines day is here, he wanted to surprise his boyfriend of six months, Kisa Shouta, an en grande valentines date. It maybe late, but he promised he will reward his baby faced lover a night he will never forget, sure, sex between them is all good, but even though his adorable boyfriend told him that being with him for the night is enough, Kou took it upon himself to put a grand romantic event for the both of them, he wanted his boyfriend to be happy with him all the time, and he will do whatever it takes to keep Shouta in his life.

As a result, he took another part time job of being a taxi driver, he managed to pass and got his driver's license in one snap, lucky him. He'd been doing this job for weeks now and he was glad of the added income that it provided.

He looked at the rainy environment outside his cab, he shouldn't have parked at this dark side of the road, no one seemed to hail a cab, he let out a breath and gunned the engine, he was about to drive off when he saw a clear umbrella heading his way.

He waited and then he saw that it was a highschool student, 17 or 18 maybe, with raven hair and pale, brown eyes, he was wearing a yellow sweater underneath his white collared shirt, dark slacks and a pair of white sneakers. In his other hand, he was holding a bouquet of bright, green roses wrapped in a fancy, yellow wrap with peach coloured ribbons and a teddy bear keychain attached to the side.

' _How sweet'_ Kou thought as he saw the lad go towards his cab and knocked.

Kou then opened the passenger's seat and the boy went inside. And the caramel haired driver gunned the engine and drove towards the main road.

" So, where are you headed, young sir? A nice restaurant or a fancy café in downtown? " He asked the boy. Obviously, with the flowers, he is surely going out for a date.

A slow smile crept on the boy's handsome features, a gentle gaze then sweet towards the bouquet he was holding as he touched it tenderly.

" The Sakura Park, please. I promised my boyfriend that I will meet him there. "

Kou almost bumped into the car ahead of him when he heard the term ' boyfriend'

Ooookkkaaaayyyy….

He just continued driving, he had no right to judge, seeing that he had a boyfriend himself, but hearing it being proclaimed so boldly without fear, especially by a young, teenage boy is still a bit… uncomfortable. He was still adjusting with this gay relationship, and he never complained nor disliked his relationship with Shouta, but he was straight prior then, so settling in this kind of matter is still stifling for him, though he would never admit it aloud.

" That's nice…" He just answered back as he looked at him in his rear view mirror.

The boy looked at him. " You must think I'm crazy. " He replied and chuckled.

Kou shook his head. " No, not at all, you love who you love, that's all that matters. "

" I couldn't believe it myself either. " The raven haired boy agreed. " I had girlfriends back then, but I couldn't help to feel that the closer they got to me, the colder I become, but this junior… " He let out a short laugh. " Suddenly confessed to me out of nowhere, I decided to give it a try, I thought he was a creep and all but…" The mirth in his eyes suddenly disappeared and was now replaced with longing. " But he was sincere, he told me he loves me, plain, simple, and pure. That's it, and he worked hard just to prove it to me. And before I knew it, I fell hard for him. "

" Oh…"

" But I abused his love and took it for granted. " The boy added sadly. " I realized that I couldn't live without him, I made a mistake and now, he's going abroad. I wanted to apologize and beg him not to leave me. When he was gone, I realized you have to say ' I love you' to the person you love all the time, because you never knew when they will be out of your grasp, if I have known that he will go abroad, I would've told him ' I love you ' all the time, and whenever he's around or even if he's not asking for it, I will hug him and crush him in my arms and never let him go."

Kou felt his heart being torn apart, it was a simple declaration, yet the boy's voice felt so gut wrenching, the sound of person whose heart was broken so badly and is now lost.

" I'm sure he'll forgive you as long as you apologized sincerely. " Kou managed to answer.

A sad smile was the only answer he got.

He drove continuously, the boy didn't said anything after that.

When he reached the Sakura Park, he turned to tell his passenger that they are here, only to see the passenger's seat open and the boy gone out of sight.

" What the ? " Kou exclaimed as he looked in shock, the bouquet of green roses are still there, but the boy was gone. How come he didn't hear the door open?

He then took his umbrella from under his seat, he also took the bouquet of green roses and got out to look for the boy, he sighed irritably when he saw that no one was around the park, and thought that it must be one of those crazy, bat shit talented teenagers who just wanted to get a hitch ride in some random place, and he didn't even _pay._

He was about to go back when he saw a clear umbrella coming his way, thinking it was the boy, he walked towards him, only to be surprised when instead of a boy, he saw a sophisticated gentleman in his 50's, wearing a perfectly tailored white suit and pristine white shoes now covered in mud. Probably waiting in the park for too long.

He was good looking for his age, Kou thought as he glanced at the man whose hair was combed back, he saw gray hairs rising around the temple of his brunette hair, and bright green eyes the same colour as the green roses. He looked expectant as he gazed at him.

He was about to ask when the man walked towards him, he fished something from his pocket and handed him a couple thousand yen.

" Is this enough? " He asked as he handed him the bill.

" Oh… you know the raven haired boy? " Kou asked as he took the money. "This is too much sir, let me get your change – "

" No keep it, yes, I do know him, he's my boyfriend. "

Kou blinked. Oh, a sugar Daddy? But he remembered the boy telling him that his boyfriend is his junior so why….

The man smiled at his bewilderment. " Is this for me? " He asked.

" Oh yeah, he said that he wanted to apologize to you for what he had done, he even told me that he loves you, so very much, he will say it to you everytime the moment he sees you. " The driver concluded as he handed him the bouquet, and the man took it gratefully. " He also told me he wanted to hug you and crush you in his arms..."

" Silly Saga senpai…" The man smiled as he brought the roses close to him, and inhaled it, and suddenly his eyes were filled with unshed tears.

" I'm sorry if you got involved in this. " The man said as he looked at Kou. " He does this every time valentines day comes. "

Kou stared at him.

The old man stared at the swishing Sakura trees under the rain. " I remember meeting him, 35 years ago, it was the time the cherry blossoms bloomed, and I was reaching for a book, I couldn't reach it, and I was a bit clumsy, so I ended up falling, but then, I bumped into him and found my heart beating faster at the sight of him. "

The old man chuckled as he looked up at the grey skies.

" I was hopeless back then, all I did was watch him, and stalk him, I started to read the books that he had read, thinking it will make us closer, I was contented watching him, but…. For some reason, at the start of senior year, we saw each other again, and as we reached for the same book, I confessed to him out for nowhere. I think he wanted to try dating me, he agreed to go out with me, and the rest is history, we went to different places, go on dates… and well… I lost my virginity to him."

" Oh… I see…"

" Sorry, you must be busy and creeped out with this old man. " The elder replied.

" No, please continue." Kou urged. This is getting really interesting. " Besides, I'm dating a man too. "

The elder snickered. " Would you look at that. So I guess this old man's ramblings doesn't bother you then? "

" No not at all, please continue, I don't mind standing in the rain. "

" So when we did it the second one time, I asked him if he loves me…." The elder sighed. " And then he laughed, I was young and naïve back then, so I thought that maybe, he was just playing with me, you might be asking why I didn't let him explain, and as I said, I was young and in a vulnerable state of clarifying my feelings, and I didn't know that his laughter meant shyness, not at all using me for his own benefit, but I didn't know it back then, I was mad and angry at him at that time, and out of my rage, I kicked him in the face and left him in his room. When I got home, I told my mom that I will agree to go as an exchange student in England. "

Kou bit his lip, he didn't like the way it will end. He's sure of it.

" I was waiting in the airport for my flight, and to my surprise, I received a text from him, I didn't know how he found out my number, but he _begged_ me to see him. It was valentines day too… I remember. He told me he will come and ask me to wait for him in the Sakura Park, I was contemplated to come, but I was jaded that time already, I was doubting his words, I had an argument with myself, and in the end, I didn't reply, I just turned off my phone and walked towards my flight… looking back… I truly regret that day. "

" I was settling in my dorm when I heard a terrible news…." The old man said as the tears he was trying to suppress came flowing. " I heard that a teenage boy was killed in the Sakura park, according to the news, robbery was the motive, and the maintenance crew found a dead body the next morning lying on the gound, it was a raven haired teenage boy of about 17 or 18 years of age, and in his hands, he was holding a bouquet of green roses… close to his chest..."

A shiver ran down in Kou's spine, no wonder he didn't hear the boy go out, and now that he realized it, the place that he parked had a few people, and cars, and the place is so dark, what could a boy his age doing and walking in a dark, dangerous alley on his own?

Now he knows why.

The old man wiped his tears. " I cried that night, even though I was mad at him, I couldn't help but mourn every night, if only I agreed to come… He might… He might still be alive, I tried to move on, dated other people, have fun, but still, none of them made my heart beat just like how he did, in the end, I ended up marrying my childhood friend, An, and we had 3 wonderful children and I took the position of becoming a CEO in our company. Life was good so far, and I tried to forget him, but I couldn't. "

Kou gulped.

" And then suddenly, I heard the news from some of my colleagues, they say that a teenage boy was haunting the Sakura Park, I wasn't a believer of rumors, but as time goes, the story of the ' lovelorn teenage boy' became famous especially in my workplace, the story goes that every time valentines day comes, a young man with raven hair and wearing a school uniform would hail a cab and ask the driver to bring him here, tell him a little bit of his story, and when they reach this place, he will suddenly disappear, leaving a bouquet of green roses that he held earlier. As you may know, most of the cab drivers are spooked. I was horrified a diary surprised with their description, raven hair, hazel eyes, a teenage boy, it didn't took me long enough to realize that it was Saga senpai, my Saga senpai… still waiting for me to come to the park to see me and ask for my forgiveness."

" So, what did you do about it, sir? " Kou asked.

The elder smiled. " It took me a lot of courage, but I decided to go to the Sakura Park myself during valentines day, I was 25 back then, and mature enough, I asked our driver to drop me off there, I waited and waited, and to my surprise, a cab came in, and suddenly I saw the cab driver looking for a teenage boy, in his hand, he was holding a bouquet of fresh, green roses. From the way it was wrapped, and the teddy bear keychain that he promised to give me for our coming monsary, and the way he said that he loved my green eyes and would give me roses the same colour as them, it was a dead giveaway and I had no doubt that it was Saga senpai. So I took the roses and paid the driver. I offered silent prayers in the wind after that, and finally giving him the forgiveness that I had denied him for years as well as prayers for the peace of my mind and the drivers that he had accidentally spooked. Yet, it was still the same, he still comes here every valentines, he still spooks some cab drivers who aren't used to him, but realizing that he was just cominh here to give me my yearly green roses, I decided to come here every valentines night of every year to humour him, and I guess I spoiled him in that matter, but then again, he deserved to be granted this simple wish, wouldn't you agree? "

" Of course, have you been doing this for a long gone time, sir? "

The old man nodded. " The first time I received the bouquet was also the time when I opened my old phone. Eversince I heard him die, I never opened it, but didn't have the courage to throw it away. And when I accepted my first bouquet from this driver, I turned that old phone on when I went home, only to see that the last message that he gave me. "

" What was the message if you don't mind me asking sir? "

" _It's said, I will bring you roses, the same colour as your eyes, complete with teddy bear and the peach ribbons, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I want you to know that I love you… and I'll be waiting for you to come back, always... and forever… my sweet Ritsu…"_

" Wait, Ritsu Onodera? You're the talented CEO of Onodera Publishing Company? " Kou exclaimed.

" I guess I was…"

Kou then bowed. " Nice to meet you, I'm a fan of the shoujo manga that your Publishing house produce. "

" Thank you, and thank you for bringing these roses for me… and for humoring my young, restless boyfriend, I appreciate it, Mr...?"

" Kou… Kou Yukina, sir. "

" A pleasure to meet you… Yukina san… Thank you again. "

" You're welcome as well … Onodera san, and I hope to meet you again. " Kou bowed.

Ritsu bowed as well, Kou insisted that he will bring Ritsu home, free of charge, but the old man shook his head, saying that he has a car.

So off the two men go and part ways, Kou then went towards his cab and turned the engine on, he then watched the old man go the other way, it was surely a bittersweet love story, and after hearing the story, he promised that he will show his boyfriend how much he loves him, and tell him ' I love you ', all the time as well.

He gave one last glance to the CEO, who was walking upright and gracefully, only for Kou to widen his eyes.

Beside the old man is the teenage boy that he just drove earlier, the Saga senpai of Onodera san, walking beside the old man, and though a bit transparent, took the old man's hand with his as they walked to gather on the petal filled ground, and this time, the boy had a genuine smile on his face and joy in his eyes, happy to be reunited with his lost love...

Kou felt his tears suddenly forming, and when his eyelids cannot handle it anymore, it leaked down towards his cheeks.

" You can ride on me again… if you want to…" Kou said as he looked at the man and his ghostly companion. " I can give you a ride during valentines or near valentines, I won't ever ever mind at all. "

The Saga boy seemed to have heard him, because every night of every year, during valentines, he saw the same boy going towards his cab, holding the same bouquet of green roses in his hands...

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Thank you so much for reading! A bit gloomy for valentines, but I missed writing one shots, here you go!


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